Experience

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  State of Maryland

  • Secretary of Appointments, Governor Wes Moore

    • Jan 2023 - Present

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  Wes Moore For Maryland Governor

  • Campaign Chief of Staff, Transition Team Executive

    • Oct 2021 - Jan 2023

    Left City Hall to scale work for families and youth as Chief of Staff to the Maryland gubernatorial campaign of Wes Moore, who ran on a pledge to ensure an equal opportunity at success for all Maryland families. Supported Moore-Miller transition following general election victory.

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  Visionary Solutions, LLC

  • Founding Principal

    • Jul 2014 - Dec 2022

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  City of Baltimore

  • United States
  • Government Administration
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Executive Director, Mayor's Office of Children & Family Success

    • May 2019 - Oct 2021

    Leveraged city resources, public policy and community partnerships to radically improve the lives of Baltimore’s children, youth and families. During 2020-2021, led major COVID-19 relief initiatives for the city to ensure uninterrupted access to food and housing for families impacted by the pandemic, including the city's a) COVID-19 Emergency Food Strategy, a community- and data-driven $66 million effort in its first year that spanned 12 agencies, 150+ partners and 300 meal sites that collectively distributed 8.7 million meals and 15,000 prepaid cash cards; and its b) Eviction Prevention Program, a $100 million, multi-partner effort that disbursed $23 million in back rent for 4,600 households in its first 9 months.

  • Acting Executive Director, Mayor's Office of Homeless Services

    • Jun 2020 - Jul 2021

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  BridgeEdU

  • President

    • Jun 2017 - May 2019

    Responsible for scaling for-profit, edtech startup on an accelerated timeline by convening partnerships with community colleges, HBCUs, educators and national investors to increase the college and long-term success of underserved and first-generation students by providing a support system to get them to and through college. Focus areas included recruiting top talent, building data systems to monitor effectiveness and profitability, expanding business adoption into the higher education market and laying the groundwork for profitability. Led company through successful acquisition, resulting in new investments and new market opportunities that positioned it for national scalability.

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  City of Baltimore

  • Chief of Staff, Advisor to the Mayor

    • Dec 2016 - Jun 2017

    As advisor and then chief of staff to Mayor Catherine Pugh, oversaw new administration’s transition that included initiating a reorganization of the Mayor’s Office and coordinating top talent recruitment strategy; led negotiation of the final provisions of the Baltimore Police Department consent decree on behalf of the administration; and secured more city funding for Baltimore City Public Schools and led the political and financial strategy to invest $90 million in local and state supplemental funding in the district.

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  JSP Ventures

  • Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs

    • Aug 2014 - Dec 2016

    Convened and funded partnerships in support of children’s programs primarily in the Baltimore area. Major JS Plank & DM DiCarlo Family Foundation investments included developing the Baltimore School for the Arts’ Center for Collaborative Arts and Technology to provide “a professional digital facility focused on the intersection of art, technology and collaboration;” serving as a dedicated campaign leadership donor for Ronald McDonald House Charities Maryland to provide support and relief to sick children and their families; and stewarding a public/private partnership to facilitate the $4.5 million overhaul of the Western Police District station and expand its role as a community hub in the wake of civil unrest stemming from police brutality concerns.

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  Baltimore City Public Schools

  • United States
  • Primary and Secondary Education
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Interim CEO

    • Jul 2013 - Jun 2014

    Oversaw yearlong CEO transition for Baltimore City Public Schools while the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners conducted a national search for a permanent CEO. Ensured continuity in the achievement of students, implementation of numerous high-stakes reforms and overall public partnership and confidence in the district’s forward movement. Prioritized stability among the district’s 11,000 employees and the launch of a $1 billion initiative to bring long-neglected school buildings into the 20th-century.

  • Chief of Staff

    • Feb 2009 - Jul 2013

    Acted for, represented and exercised the authority of the CEO in the day-to-day execution of district initiatives, policies and programs during a period of bold reform. Led the cabinet and district in the implementation of academic, structural and operational reforms, and in the organizational and cultural shifts those reforms demanded of the district, its central office staff and its 200 school communities. Key accomplishments included overall gains in student achievement and the district's graduation rate, creating school choice for students and families, giving schools autonomy over budgeting and negotiating a groundbreaking teachers’ contract that tied pay to performance—all of which helped seed a culture of high expectations and performance throughout City Schools and the Baltimore community.

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  Baltimore City Public Schools

  • Founding Principal, Baltimore Freedom Academy

    • 2003 - 2008

    Convened public-private partnership—comprising parents, community, the Park School and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law—to found a public "innovation" high school with a law, leadership and social justice theme. Served as the school's first principal and in 2008 led its conversion to a public charter school.